Traveling by myself with kids

I checked in late and now I'm stuck boarding C. I will be traveling by myself with my kids 5 and 11, we need to all sit together. I will be leaving from PHL airport. I've heard airports in FL offer families to board first but never have I heard them offer it at PHL.

Family boarding is for childen 6 years old and younger plus 2 adults. So in your case your 11 year old would not be able to family board (unless they consider the 11 year old the 2nd adult)

If they wont let the 11 year old do family boarding with you I would recommend you still take advantage of family boarding with your 5 year old and you could save a seat so when your other child boards you can all sit together.

Family Boarding happens on all Southwest Airlines flights no matter which airport your flying in and out of.

Here is the boarding process broken down

1. Medical pre boarders (with medical preboard slip)

2. A group

3. Any A Listers who did not get an A boarding pass and passengers who have XT on there boarding pass

4. Family boarding (this is when you and your 5 year old would board and 11 year old if they will allow)

5. B group boarding

6. C group boarding

If you dont want your 11 year old boarding alone you could inquire about upgraded boarding ($30-$50 fee) for your 11 year old and then they could wait until family boarding to board as you can always move back in line but not forward. The upgraded boarding gives A 1-15 boarding.

Re: Traveling by myself with kids

I checked in late and now I'm stuck boarding C. I will be traveling by myself with my kids 5 and 11, we need to all sit together. I will be leaving from PHL airport. I've heard airports in FL offer families to board first but never have I heard them offer it at PHL.

Please help!

Southwest Airlines offers Family Boarding for one adult traveling with children aged 6 and under. Family Boarding happens after the A group, and before the B group.

While technically your 11 year old does not qualify for Family Boarding, I suspect you will be accommodated. My advice would be to approach the OPS Agent (the one working at the entrance to the ramp to the plane) prior to the beginning of boarding, and politely ask about your specific situation.

The Family Boarding policy has a lot of ambiguity, and much is left up to the discretion of the gate agent. So you should be prepared to possibly board at your originally assigned positions. That said, I very much suspect that you will be accommodated.

Your other option would be to purchase Upgraded Boarding at the gate (if available) for your eleven-year-old, assuming you are fine with them boarding by themselves. Upgraded Boarding costs $30 to $50, but would guarantee an A1 -15 position. The 11 year old could then save seats for you and your other child, who would board at Family Boarding.

One last option would be to purchase Upgraded Boarding for all three of you, although I assume that's cost prohibitive.

Good luck, and please do come back and let us know after travel how everything worked out for you!

Re: Traveling by myself with kids

Thank you both so much for all of the info! I will ask the agent if they can accommodate and if they can't then I will have to board myself and my 5 year old when they call families and just save my 11 yr old a seat.

Re: Traveling by myself with kids

I checked in late and now I'm stuck boarding C. I will be traveling by myself with my kids 5 and 11, we need to all sit together. I will be leaving from PHL airport. I've heard airports in FL offer families to board first but never have I heard them offer it at PHL.

Please help!

I'll be a little contrary to the other posters...the wording is "an adult traveling with..." - I have interpreted that to mean an adult, and the other parent is also an(other) adult - my wife and I have never had a problem both boarding with our daughter and I wouldn't expect any pushback on having your regularly ticketed older child board with you and your 5-year old.

As far as the checking in prior to boarding, I would go up to the boarding gate agent right around 35 minutes to departure and introduce your five-year old and ask where family boarding should stand. and leave it at that.

Re: Traveling by myself with kids

Just wanted to give an update, i walked right up when they called parents with children and that was it! They took us right in which was much appreciated because it was a full flight and we would not have gotten to sit together otherwise